The welfare of sows kept in two different group housing systems, namely voluntary cubicle pens housing small static groups and a split-yard housing system housing a large dynamic group, were examined. Each week, four newly weaned sows were introduced into either a voluntary cubicle pen or the split-yard system, with a total of eight groups of four sows introduced into each system. Behavioural and skin lesion data were recorded during the sows’ first 5 weeks in either system. Agonistic behaviours were performed more frequently during week 1 than in subsequent weeks in both housing systems (P < 0001). Sows in the voluntary cubicle pens spent more time standing inactive (P < 0001) and spent less time in exploratory (P < 005) and locomotory (P < 001) behaviours. However, sows in the split-yard system had higher skin lesion scores (P < 001) and engaged in more social (P < 005) and agonistic interactions (P < 005). These agonistic interactions included attacks (P < 005) and fleeing (P < 0001) throughout the 5-week observation period and fighting (P < 0001) during week 1 only. The split-yard system, therefore, appeared to offer sows a more stimulating social and physical environment than the voluntary cubicle pens, but also led to higher levels of aggression and skin damage. Both housing systems, therefore, appear to compromise sow welfare in different ways.

Two alternative ways of estimating cumulative selection differentials are compared. An alternative method is developed that includes the advantages of both methods. This alternative method is shown to give rise to less biased estimates of realized heritability

The continuous presence of active male small ruminants prevents seasonal anestrus in females, but evidence of the same mechanism operating from the females to the males is scarce. This study assessed the effects of the continuous presence of ewes in estrus in spring on ram sexual activity, testicular size and echogenicity, and LH and testosterone concentrations. On 1 March, 20 rams were assigned to two groups (n = 10 each): isolated (ISO) from other sheep, or stimulated (STI) by 12 ewes, which were separated from the rams by an openwork metal barrier, allowing contact between sexes. Each week, four ewes were induced into estrus by intravaginal sponges. Live weight, scrotal circumference, testicular width (TW) and length (TL) were recorded at the beginning and at the end of the experiment, and testicular volume (TV) was calculated; at the same time, testicular ultrasonography and color Doppler scanning were performed. Blood samples (March to May) were collected once per week for testosterone determinations, and at the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected for 6 h at 20-min intervals for LH analysis. Rams were exposed to four estrous ewes in a serving-capacity test. Scrotal circumference, TW and TL were higher in the STI than in the ISO rams (P < 0.05) in May, and TV was higher (P < 0.05) in the STI (391 ± 17 cm3) than in the ISO rams (354 ± 24 cm3). In ISO rams, the number of white pixels was higher (P < 0.01) in May (348 ± 74) than in March (94 ± 21) and differed significantly (P < 0.01) from that of the STI rams in May (160 ± 33). In ISO rams, the number of grey pixels was higher (P < 0.05) in May (107 ± 3) than it was in March (99 ± 1). Stimulated and ISO rams did not differ significantly in mean LH plasma concentrations (0.8 ± 0.5 v. 0.9 ± 0.4 ng/ml), LH pulses (2.1 ± 0.5 v. 2.2 ± 0.2) and amplitude (2.0 ± 0.4 v. 3.2 ± 0.7 ng/ml, respectively). Stimulated rams had significantly higher testosterone concentrations than ISO rams from April to the end of the experiment. Stimulated rams performed more (P < 0.05) mountings with intromission (3.0 ± 0.4) than did ISO rams (1.5 ± 0.5). In conclusion, after 3 months in the continuous presence of ewes in estrus in spring, rams had higher TV and some testicular echogenic parameters were modified than isolated rams. Although exposed rams also had higher levels of testosterone after 2 months in the presence of estrous ewes, their LH pulsatility at the end of the study was not modified.

The effects of susceptibility to halothane anaesthesia on litter productivity were investigated by comparing susceptible and normal females in two sets of data. The first comprised 206 litters from the first five generations of Pietrain/Hampshire synthetic lines selected for and against halothane susceptibility. Susceptible and normal females were mated to boars of their own type. The second data set consisted of 93 litters from the same susceptible and normal females mated to normal boars. Compared with normal contemporaries, litter sizes of susceptible females were reduced by 1·16 (s.e. 0·40) piglets at birth, and 1-76 (s.e. 0·41) at weaning (ca. 1 weeks). Maximum likelihood estimates of the proportions of piglet deaths from birth to weaning as a trait of susceptible v. normal dams were 0·32 v. 014 (P < 0·001). There were no significant differences in piglet weights or perinatal mortality, and no apparent influence of piglet genotype on any trait. The lower litter size of susceptible females at weaning appeared to result from reductions in both numbers born and survival to weaning. The study bears out previous reports of a reduction in litter productivity due to the halothane gene. However, the present differences could have arisen largely from random genetic differentiation between lines, or linkage disequilibrium in the synthetic foundation population.

The aim was to determine the effect of orally administered ovine serum immunoglobulin (Ig) on growth performance, organ weight, gut morphology and mucin production in the Salmonella enteritidis – gavaged growing rat. Four groups consisted of non-gavaged rats fed a casein-based control basal diet (BD) and three groups of rats gavaged with 1 × 107 CFU S. enteritidis and fed a casein-based diet, a diet containing freeze-dried ovine Ig (FDOI) or a casein-based diet containing inactivated ovine Ig (IOI). The rats were randomly allocated to one of the four groups (n = 15/group) and received their respective diets for an 18-day experimental study. Gavaging took place on day 15. Average daily gain and body gain : feed ratio (post-gavage, 3 days) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher for the Salmonella-challenged rats fed the FDOI diet compared to those fed the BD and IOI diets. At the end of the study, the small intestine and colon were significantly (P < 0.05) heavier for the gavaged rats fed the FDOI diet compared to the gavaged rats fed either the BD or IOI diet. Moreover, the relative weights of the caecum, liver and spleen of the gavaged rats fed the BD or IOI diet were significantly (P < 0.05) heavier compared to the gavaged rats fed the FDOI diet. Generally, the gavaged rats fed the FDOI diet had significantly (P < 0.05) higher goblet cell counts and luminal mucin protein contents than the gavaged rats fed either the BD or IOI diet and had a more functional gut morphology. Overall, the FDOI fraction prevented the acute effects of S. enteritidis.

Three steers cannulated in the rumen and abomasum were given a diet of wheat straw, chopped and soaked in sodium hydroxide and then washed to pH less than 8. The straw was sprayed with sucrose, urea and minerals. The diet was free of digestible protein and given at 1·7 to 4·1 kg/day. Microbial protein flowing to the omasum was measured by 15N. By difference, the flow of endogenous protein nitrogen to the omasum was found to be 2·2 g/kg dry-matter intake. The flow of endogenous protein nitrogen to the abomasum was 3·3 to 9·4 g/kg dry-matter intake, and it decreased with increasing food intake.

The objective of this study was to evaluate genetic and non-genetic factors influencing artificial insemination (AI) success in French dairy goats. Data analysis, on a total of 584 676 and 386 517 AI records for Alpine and Saanen breed, respectively, collected from 1992 to 2009, was conducted separately on each breed. We used a linear simple repeatability animal model which combined male and female random effect and environmental fixed effects. The most important environmental factor identified was the period within year effect due to the European heat wave of 2003. The estimated values of the annual fertility exhibited a negative trend of 1% loss of AI success per 10 years for Alpine breed only. The range of variation for the flock×within years random effect was 70% and 65% for Alpine and Saanen breeds. The negative effect on AI success of antibody production after repetitive hormonal treatment was confirmed. We observed an important positive relationship between fertility and protein yield expressed as quartile within flock×years of protein 250-day yield for female with lactation number over 1, while this trend was negative for primiparous females. We detected a negative effect of the duration of conservation of semen with a difference of about 4% of AI success between extreme values (2 to 8+ or 9+ years). Heritability estimates for male fertility were 0.0037 and 0.0043 for Alpine and Saanen breed respectively, while estimates for female fertility was 0.040 and 0.049. Repeatability estimates for males were 0.008 and 0.010 for Alpine and Saanen, respectively, and 0.097 and 0.102 for females. With such low values of heritability, selection can hardly affect fertility.

The effect of the physiological state and dietary protein level on urinary excretion of creatinine (C) and purine derivatives (PD) was studied in two experiments carried out with pregnant and lactating ewes to evaluate whether the PD/C ratio in urine can he confidently used as an index of PD excretion. In both experiments ewes were given ammonia-treated straw and concentrates including different levels of fish meal and the excretion in urine and milk and the plasma concentration of C, allantoin (AL), xanthine, hypoxanthine and uric acid was measured.

Creatinine excretion (in urine and milk) was higher in pregnant ewes than in those lactating (492 and 420 (s.e. 10.0) μmol/kg maternal live weight0.75) and no significant differences were found due to number of foetuses and dietary protein level. The coefficient of variation was 0·10 in both pregnancy and lactation and individual variation accounted for proportionately 0·78 and 0·93 of total variation. The AL/C ratio in urine was highly correlated with daily AL excretion (r = 0·90 and 0·78 in pregnant and lactating ewes, respectively). Changes in PD excretion with experimental treatments were mainly reflected in AL, as the main component (0-83) of total PD. Most of the variation in AL excretion was explained by differences in rumen fermentable organic matter intake (RFOMI) (R2 = 0·79) and AL excretion did not differ between treatments when expressed per kg of RFOMI. In contrast to this the ratio AL/digestible organic matter intake decreased with increasing levels of fish meal in the diet. Urinary PD excretion was better related to estimated PD kidney tubular load (r = 0·76) than to PD plasma concentration (r = 0·64).

The results suggest that creatinine excretion is scarcely affected by the number of foetuses in pregnancy and dietary protein level but if the AL/С in urine is used instead of total collection as an index of purines absorbed in the duodenum, differences in urinary creatinine excretion due to physiological state must be accounted for.

Three experiments, designed as three simultaneous 4 × 4 Latin squares (21-day feeding periods), were conducted using pregnant beef cows. Diets were based on barley straw given ad libitum together with 1·7 kg dry matter (DM) of either molassed sugar-beet pulp (MSBP) (experiment 1), unmolassed sugarbeet pulp (USBP) (experiment 2), or rolled barley (BARLEY) (experiment 3). In the respective experiments, MSBP, USBP and BARLEY were given either alone, to provide about 200 g crude protein (CP) per day (CONTROL) or were supplemented with urea (U), untreated soya-bean meal (SBM) or formaldehyde-treated soya-bean meal (FT-SBM) to provide a further 200 g CP per day. The contrasting dietary treatments in the three experiments provided intakes of rumen-degradable protein (RDP) ranging from 16 to 388 g/day.

All protein supplements improved overall straw DM intakes, the improvement being significant for U only (P < 0·01). A linear relationship between the daily intake of RDP (g) and straw DM (kg) was obtained. The regression equation was:

DM intake = 5·03 + 0·0035 × RDP (R2 = 0·703; residual s.d. 0·561; d.f. 35; P < 0·001).

All protein supplements also improved the apparent digestibility of straw organic matter (OM) (P < 0·05) and the metabolizable energy (ME) obtained from straw (P < 0·01). Blood urea was increased due to supplementation with urea (P < 0·001), SBM (P < 0·01) and FT-SBM (P < 0·05). Supplementation with BARLEY appeared to improve straw DM intake over MSBP and USBP but this was not reflected in improved ME intake from straw.

The expression of many genes encoding secreted and non-secreted factors have been studied in human and rodent adipose tissue with cDNA microarrays, but few such studies in adipose tissue from growing pigs have been reported. Total RNA was collected at slaughter from outer subcutaneous adipose tissue (OSQ) and middle subcutaneous adipose tissue (MSQ) samples from gilts at 90, 150 and 210 days (n = 5/age). Dye-labeled cDNA probes were hybridized to custom microarrays (70-mer oligonucleotides) representing about 600 pig genes involved in growth and reproduction. Gene expression intensity ratios changed little with age for 100 transcription factors, nuclear receptors, enzymes and other regulatory proteins in OSQ and MSQ from pigs between 90 and 210 days of age. However, the relative expression of 13 genes distinguished OSQ and MSQ depots in growing pigs. The expression of several genes were influenced by age including an increase in CCND3, HSF1 and PTGR1 expression in MSQ and a decrease in UCP2 and REA (prohibitin-2) expression in OSQ. These studies demonstrate for the first time the expression of several key regulatory genes in pig adipose tissue. Simple linear regression analysis showed that leptin gene expression was associated with expression of some of these regulatory genes. Negative associations between expression of some regulatory factors and leptin gene expression indicated that local leptin may decrease or antagonize adipogenesis.

Dietary and ruminal factors modify the ruminal biohydrogenation (RBH) of polyunsaturated fatty acids (FA), with duodenal FA flows being quantitatively and qualitatively different from FA intake. Using a meta-analysis approach from a database on duodenal flows of FA in ruminants, this study aimed to determine predictive equations for duodenal and absorbed flows of saturated FA, C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3 isomers, odd- and branched-chain FA (OBCFA), C20:5n-3, C22:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 and to quantify the effects of dietary and digestive factors on those equations. The database was divided into four subsets: forage, seed, vegetable oils or animal fats (oil/fat), and fish products (fish) subsets. Models of duodenal and absorbed FA flows were obtained through variance–covariance analysis. Effects of potential interfering factors (conservation mode and botanical families of forages, lipid source, technological processing of lipid supplements, diet composition and animal characteristics) were analysed. We obtained 83 models for duodenal FA flows as a function of FA intake for saturated FA (C14:0, C16:0 and C18:0), C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3 isomers and seven other models for OBCFA. For the seed/oil/fat subset, intakes of total C18:3, C18:2 and starch content increased the duodenal t11-C18:1 flow with 0.08, 0.16 and 0.005 g/kg of dry matter intake (DMI), respectively, whereas intake level [(DMI×100)/BW] decreased it. The c9c12c15-C18:3 RBH was higher for oil/fat than seed (96.7% v. 94.8%) and a protective effect of Leguminosae v. Gramineae against RBH for that FA appeared in the forage subset. The duodenal C17:0 flow increased with starch content and decreased with ruminal pH, respectively, whereas duodenal iso-C16:0 flow decreased with dietary NDF content for the seed/oil/fat subset. The duodenal C20:5n-3, C22:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 flows depended on their respective intake and the inhibitory effect of C22:6n-3 on duodenal C18:0 flow was quantified. Thirteen models of absorbed FA flows were performed depending on their respective duodenal flows. This study determined the effects of different qualitative and quantitative dietary and digestive factors, allowing for improved predictions of duodenal and absorbed FA flows.

In two experiments carried out in the autumn of 1971 and 1972 (treatment prefixes 1 and 2 respectively), 84 Finn x Dorset ewes found by X-ray to carry from 1 to 4 foetuses were individually fed during the last 6 weeks of gestation either: 1A, ad libitum; 1H and 2H, 33 kcal M/kg ewe live weight+365 kcal per ME/kg foetus (anticipated birth weight); 1M, 80%; and 2L, 50% of the total energy fed to treatments 1H and 2H. The amounts given remained constant during the experimental period. The method of feeding according to foetal number within treatments, attempted to standardize the nutritional state within treatments.

All ewes (except those on 2L which remained constant) gained 6 to 8 kg live weight during the last 6 weeks of gestation and lost 8 to 10 kg at parturition. The birth weight of lambs was not affected by the range of energy (2·3 to 4·4 Meal ME/ewe per day) consumed during the last 6 weeks of gestation.

Plasma concentrations of free fatty acids (FFA), glucose and ketone bodies were determined weekly. The mean FFA levels were significantly higher in the low energy treatment groups than the high ones.

The present data indicated that if there is little change in body weight i n the early stages of pregnancy a 65 kg ewe bearing twin lambs, will require about 4 Meal ME/day during the last 50 days of gestation t o prevent a rise in plasma FFA concentration or loss of weight over the gestation period.

Concentrations of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), insulin and glucagon were determined in the plasma of growing bulls, steers and heifers (no. = 138 in total, German Simmental breed). The animals were offered either a high level or a low level of energy resulting in relatively high and low average daily gain. Trials were subdivided into two experimental series and started at approximately 3 months of age at an average live weight of 110 kg. The animals were slaughtered at different body weights from 200 to 510 kg (heifers) or 660 kg (bulls, steers). Blood samples (needle puncture) were collected at biweekly intervals. Frequent samples time-course analysis of GH were taken by catheter from nine animals in total. Concentrations of GH declined during growth in steers and heifers as well as in bulls in blood samples collected by means of a catheter. IGF-1 and insulin concentrations increased from the start of the trial onwards up to different ages among the groups. Concentrations of glucagon constantly decreased from the start of the trial until slaughter. Significant differences (P < 0·05) in concentrations ofGH, IGF-1 and insulin could be observed between sexes and levels of nutrition, with the highest GH and IGF-1 levels in bulls followed by steers and heifers. In contrast insulin values were highest in heifers followed by steers and bulls. A high level of nutrition increased concentrations of IGF-1 and insulin in all sexes.

Azaperone treatment can control aggression and decrease stress due to weaning, re-grouping and hierarchical fighting of gilts and sows. However, the effects of this butyrophenone neuroleptic and sedative administered at weaning on pig reproductive function are poorly characterized. In this year-long study, a total of 619 cross-bred sows (Polish Large White×Polish Landrace) kept on a commercial farm received an i.m. injection of azaperone (Stresnil®; 2 mg/kg BW) just before weaning and were artificially inseminated during the ensuing estrus with 3×109 spermatozoa per dose of an inseminate; 1180 sows served as untreated controls. Immediately after weaning, the sows were moved to four pens of seven to nine animals each. A teaser boar was used twice daily to check for estrus and sows were bred at heat detection. Subsequently, all sows stayed in individual stalls until pregnancy testing on day 30 post-artificial insemination and were then re-grouped until farrowing. The proportion of pigs that were in estrus within 6 days post-weaning was significantly lower in azaperone-treated groups of animals than in controls (71.4% v. 84.2%). Overall, the azaperone-treated sows had a significantly longer weaning-to-estrus interval (WEI; 8.7±10.1 v. 6.3±8.1 days; mean±SD) and a significantly larger litter size (LS: 11.8±3.0 v.11.3±3.2; azaperone-treated v. control sows). Treatment of the winter-farrowing sows was associated with increased LS (12.8±2.6 and 11.3±3.1 piglets/sow, respectively; P<0.05) and longer (P<0.05) weaning-to-effective-service intervals (11.7±19.3 and 8.4±12.3 days, respectively) as well as farrowing intervals (155.7±19.7 and 152.2±16.1 days, respectively) compared with untreated controls. In the summer months, significantly longer WEIs (12.1±21.0 v. 8.4±16.9 days) were accompanied by a significant decline in LS only in azaperone-treated sows that were inseminated within 6 days post-weaning (10.8±2.9 v. 11.5±3.3 piglets/sow; azaperone-treated v. controls). Azaperone-treated second parity sows had greater LS (P<0.001) along with prolonged WEIs (P<0.05) in comparison to their respective controls, regardless of the timing of estrus. An application of azaperone at weaning increased the annual piglet productivity of winter-farrowing animals and of second parity sows but depressed it significantly in summer. The extra cost and labor due to delayed onset of estrus may cancel out any reproductive benefits of azaperone treatment.

Five Chilean crossbred draught horses were used to study variation in work performance and biochemical and physiological parameters whilst working with a mould board plough (36 kg) for 6 h/day. The draught force, distance travelled, work done and the estimated extra energy for work were determined for each horse. The results showed that the horses used only 68·0 (s.e. 1·9)% of the total available working time ploughing a mean area of 3283 (s.e. 168) m2 with a mean depth and width of furrow of 12·6 and 22·3 cm, respectively. Estimated daily energy expenditure by the horses during work was 2·24 (s.e. 0·02) times maintenance requirements. The small changes observed in the physiological variables: heart rate, respiratory rate, packed cell volume, haemoglobin concentration and enzyme activity of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate amino transferase, showed that the horses were exercised under submaximal conditions. However, the significant increase in blood cortisol concentrations showed that horses experienced some degree of stress during ploughing work. The significant increase in blood triglycerides concentration observed after each period of work seems to demonstrate that fat mobilization is an important metabolic pathway as an energy supply for the working muscles during prolonged and low speed draught work.

Sows housed with free access to water were found to have urine protein levels comparable to those recorded for man, dog and sheep. However, in stalled sows with restricted access to water, urine protein levels were twice as high as those of penned sows.

Physiological proteinuria has been found to occur in the piglet, in which respect it is similar to the ruminant and the dog. Proteinuria reaches a peak within 20 hr of birth and lasts for approximately 48 hr. The rapid decline in urine protein levels after this period coincides with gut closure. Proteinuria did not occur in piglets fed on glucose saline, only in those receiving colostrum; however, the continued feeding of colostrum did not prolong the period of proteinuria. In piglets fed varying levels of colostral protein there was a direct correlation between serum protein levels and mean urinary protein concentration during the period of proteinuria, but there was no direct correlation between the amounts of colostral protein ingested and the serum protein level.

The half carcasses of 39 pre- and postnatal Romney sheep were dissected into anatomical units of bone and, where possible, into 32 muscle units which comprised nine functional groups. The growth of wet weight of the total bone and of the muscle groups (and their chemical components, which included deoxyribonucleic acid, protein, and total lipid) was compared with the growth of the carcass using allometric analysis.

Although bone grew faster prenatally than postnatally relative to carcass weight, the growth of total muscle and of all the muscle groups and their chemical components occurred at a constant, linear rate throughout the growth period studied.

The muscle: bone ratio decreased during prenatal growth, reached a minimum at around parturition and then increased postnatally.

The abdominal, m. longissimus and thigh muscle groups grew faster than total side muscle, relative to carcass weight.

Protein, and especially triglyceride, grew at relative rates which exceeded that of muscle wet weight.

The amount and proportion of intramuscular triglyceride, and the weights of the muscle groups in sheep at three different stages of growth, were predicted from allometric equations. The content of triglyceride was greatest in the cutaneous and neck muscle groups. As a proportion of total muscle, the thigh, m. longissimus and abdominal groups increased as carcass weight increased from 1 kg to 15 kg.

Isovalerate supplements could stimulate rumen development by improving morphology and function of rumen mucosa, and then promote the growth of calves. This study was done to evaluate the effects of isovalerate supplements on morphology and functional gene expression of rumen mucosa in dairy calves. In total, 48 Chinese Holstein male calves with 15 days of age and 45.1±0.36 kg of BW were randomly assigned to four groups. The treatments were: control, low-isovalerate, moderate-isovalerate and high-isovalerate with 0, 3, 6 and 9 g isovalerate per calf per day, respectively. Supplementary isovalerate was hand-mixed into milk in pre-weaning calves and into concentrate portion in post-weaning calves. The study consisted of a 15-day-adaptation period and a 60-day-sampling period. Calves were weaned at 60 days of age. Three calves were slaughtered from each of the four treatments at 30, 60 and 90 days of age. The weight of body and stomach were measured, samples of ruminal tissues and blood were analyzed. Total stomach weight, total stomach to BW ratio, rumen wall and keratinized layer thickness, serum growth hormone and IGF-1 for both pre- and post-weaning calves increased linearly with increasing isovalerate supplements. Rumen to total stomach weight ratio, the length and width of rumen papillae, and serum β-hydroxybutyrate increased linearly for post-weaning calves. However, abomasum weight to total stomach weight ratio decreased linearly for both pre- and post-weaning calves. The relative messenger RNA expression for growth hormone receptor, IGF-1 receptor and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 1 in rumen mucosa increased linearly for post-weaning calves. Our results suggested that isovalerate supplements promoted rumen development in a dose-dependent manner. The optimum dose was 6.0 g isovalerate per calf per day.

Wheat grain was given whole (W), cracked (C) or ammonia-treated (N) as the sole diet to six steers. In Expt 1, W, C and N were given at the rate of 2·1 kg per head per day. In Expt 2, W and N were given at the rate of 7·35 kg per head twice weekly; feeding of C had to be abandoned due to frequent bloat. Dry-matter digestibility was 0·79, 0·86 and 0·88 on W, C and N in Expt 1 and 0·75 and 0·83 on W and N in Expt 2.

The digestibility of neutral detergent fibre was 0·37, 0·24 and 0·57 with diets W, C and N respectively in Expt 1 and 0·27 and 0·47 with diets W and N in Expt 2.

The quantity of whole grain voided in faeces (g/kg grain fed) was 122, 3 and 31 with W, C and N in Expt 1 and 136 and 51 with W and N in Expt 2. Voided grains had a lower ratio of cr-glucose: neutral detergent fibre than grains fed, which indicated partial digestion of starch. Rates of nitrogen retention (g/day) were 6·6, 9·4 and 9·8 with W, C and N in Expt 1 and 7·2 and 12·2 with W and N in Expt 2.

It was concluded that ammonia-treated whole wheat grain is utilized as efficiently as cracked wheat grain when given as a sole diet to cattle and results in fewer digestive disturbances than cracked wheat grain.

In France, beef bulls are finished by breeder-finishers who produce calves and then fatten them, or by specialized finishers who fatten bulls that they buy. According to previous results on both dairy cows and pigs, breeding on the farm promotes positive attitudes of farmers towards animals, which can lead to improved animal health and growth. The mixing of bulls on their arrival at a specialized unit could stress them and thus impair health and growth. We hypothesized that breeder-finishers have more positive attitudes towards bulls and their work with bulls than specialized finishers, and that positive attitudes lead to better production, whereas mixing may be counterproductive. We observed 1038 bulls (67 groups) finished by breeder-finishers or specialized finishers in mixed and unmixed groups. Using a questionnaire, we assessed farmers' beliefs about the sensitivities of bulls, their attitude towards contacts with bulls, their beliefs about successful factors in finishing, and job satisfaction. We recorded the number of clinical signs and weight gain of the bulls. Specialized finishers tended to have more negative contacts with bulls than breeder-finishers ( P=0·06). Poor health of bulls was associated with (i) a positive attitude towards gentle contacts with bulls ( P<0·01), (ii) job satisfaction ( P=0·01), and (iii) was negatively correlated to beliefs in bulls being difficult animals ( P=0·09). Fast growth of bulls was associated with job satisfaction ( P<0·01). Unmixed bulls grew faster than mixed bulls ( P=0·05). We conclude that in finishing bulls, it is production results that have an impact on attitudes, rather than the opposite: the need for close contacts with bulls resulting from health problems engenders more positive attitudes of farmers towards their animals, and good production results increase job satisfaction. Variations in production results between breeder-finishers and specialized finishers seem to lie more in the fact that the latter always use animals mixed at the beginning of the finishing period - with mixing impairing growth - than in the attitudes of farmers towards animals and their work.